“Thank you for applying for the Hells Manager position. We are delighted to offer you the job and warmly welcome our team. I have a problem, but I believe I can solve it with your help.” It doesn’t really slow down from there.
Set to a truly roaring EDM soundtrack, this hybrid of real-time tower defense and deck building is one of those rare games that just feels so well balanced and executed. The game lets you draft and combine cards in small decks, add weapons to your towers, add deployable minions to your field, and defeat hordes of sinners trying to escape hell. I can. It’s part deck builder, part wave defense, part bullet heaven, and it’s really a lot of fun.
You do all this as a mid-level hell bureaucrat with access to the oddly retro computer system HERETIC’S FORK. Meanwhile, the demonic field manager of your choice gives you powers and abilities to use in the game.
After that endless waves of sinners try to get out of Hell in the form of all sorts of horrible monsters and bosses. After each wave has been generated, you can begin your turn and draw new cards to play. Among many of the usual deck building tropes, that is adding damage to towers, upgrading or replacing towers, drawing new cards, giving yourself more of your limited energy resources, etc. Things like giving yourself active abilities that you can use.
What’s clever and unique about Heretic’s Fork is the interesting choices you make with each new move. The resources you use to survive are also used to progress. Finding that balance is the key to playing. Cards are combined with other cards of the same rarity into new cards of higher rarity, but the new cards are random. Should I risk removing 2 of his useful Rare Blues to get a more powerful Epic Purple card?You can spend 2 of your limited 6 energies on that choice mosquito?
I have a free demo Steam: Heretic’s Fork Next Fest runs until June 26th. Created by 9FingerGames and published by Ravenage Games.
